Electrical connectors are often connected in an environment in which external forces can unintentionally loosen, or completely disengage, the connectors. Accordingly, it is often desirable that electrical connectors include a locking system that prevents unintentional disengagement.
One common electrical connection environment where a locking system is highly desirable is serial or other cable connections to computing devices, such as desktop and laptop computers. FIG. 1 is an example of a prior art electrical connector assembly designed for use in such an environment. More specifically, FIG. 1 shows a standard D-type serial cable type electrical connector assembly 101 that includes a male connector 110, a female connector 120, and a locking system. The male connector 110 is attached to the end of an electrical cable 115, and includes a plurality of male elements 111 located in a housing 114. The female connector 120 comprises a plurality of mating female elements 119 located in a housing 121 mounted in the chassis of an electronic device 123.
Still referring to FIG. 1, the locking system comprises a pair of thumbscrews 112 and a pair of jack-sockets 122. The thumbscrews are located at opposite ends of the male connector housing 114. Each thumbscrew 112 has a threaded portion and is disposed within a hole 113 in the male connector housing 114 such that the threaded portion of the thumbscrew 112 protrudes from the housing 114. The jack-sockets 122 are located at opposite ends of the female connector housing 121. The jack-sockets are threaded and positioned so that each jack-socket 122 is able to receive the threaded portion of one of the thumbscrews 112 when the male connector 110 is attached to the female connector 120. In order to lock the first connector 110 to the second connector 120, each thumbscrew 112 of the male connector is rotated until the threaded portion of the thumbscrew 112 fully engages the corresponding jack-socket 122 of the female connector 120.
While a locking system that includes thumbscrews 112 and jack-sockets 122 adequately secures a male connector 110 to a female connector 120 in a standard electrical connector assembly 101, this system has several disadvantages. For example, screwing and unscrewing the thumbscrews 112 can be tedious and time-consuming, especially when multiple connectors must be engaged or disengaged, or when one or more connectors need to be engaged and disengaged multiple times. It can also be difficult to engage and disengage the connectors when access to the thumbscrews is limited due to close proximity to other connectors, or by limited access to the connection.